The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
In muted Jammu campaign, both BJP, Cong centre pitch on Art 370
JAMMU DREW the curtains Wednesday on a largely muted election campaign ahead of polling on April 26, which lacked the buzz of poll season. Over the last couple of weeks, there were no major rallies by candidates, glaring banners or blaring loudspeakers.
Reflective of how the campaign has progressed, at around 1 pm on the last day, two- time BJP sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma held a small road show in Jammu city, attracting very few. He spoke of development under the BJP, the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration, and the abrogation of Article 370.
Sharma won in 2019 against Raman Bhalla of the Congress by over 3 lakh votes. This time too, both Sharma and Bhalla are facing off against each other.
The BJP, which hopes to retain the constituencies in Jammu having decided not to contest on the three falling in Kashmir, centred its campaign on India’s global standing — the “vishwaguru” image — and emphasied on having “ended terrorism” and cross- border firing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10- year rule.
A senior BJP leader told The Indian Express they were confident given the “all- round development” in J& K, and “prevailing peace in the Valley with no incidents of stone- pelting”.
He added, “We have focused on the fulfilment of the promises made by us during the 2014 and 2019 elections. Article 370 has been revoked. We have ended injustice meted out ( by the Act) to refugees, Valmikis, Gorkhas, and women.”
The RSS has been hard at work to ensure the BJP retains Jammu in the first post- Article 370 abrogation contest, with the organisation’s bodies such as Sanskar Bharti and Kreera Bharti appealing “people to vote for strengthening PM Modi”.
The campaign of allies Congress and National Conference ( NC) revolved around towards rising prices, increased unemployment and the “loss of identity” after the abrogation of Article 370. Bhalla claims in his speeches and campaigns that “locals have lost their identity” and that the region’s youth are losing jobs with “outsiders” now applying in the UT.
“Our campaign focuses on the restoration of statehood to J& K, corruption during these years, unemployment and crime,” Congress chief spokesperson Ravindra Sharma said.
Comprising 18 Assembly constituencies in Reasi district, the Sunderbani- Kalakote Assembly seats in Rajouri district and the plains of Jammu and Samba districts, following the 2021 delimitation, the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency now has a total of 17.80 lakh voters.